Jonathan Watts: 100 Chinese cities face water crisis, says minister

Pollution and consumption of water in China are growing so fast that more than 100 of the country’s biggest cities could soon be unable to quench the thirst of their populations, a cabinet minister warned yesterday.

Qiu Baoxing, deputy minister of construction, said urgent action was needed to halt the deterioration of water supplies, which is increasingly cited as an economic risk and a cause of public protests…

“Limited water resources are threatened by pollution, and water safety in cities is facing severe challenges,” said Mr Qiu. In more than 100 of China’s 660 cities, he said, the shortages were extreme.